Buzz about Antioxidants

We've all heard that antioxidants are important for our body, mainly to keep skin clean and healthy, right? So naturally we want to know which foods will give us the most benefits. It seems that there is some disagreement between sources, but a few commonalities keep popping up. I did my research from several websites and compiled a list of the most commonly cited antioxidants.

First of all, what are antioxidants? Well they do just as their name suggests; they prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body, thus ANTI - oxidant. Make sense? Not yet? Well our bodies naturally produce these things called free-radicals when our cells use oxygen. Okay, wait what are free-radicals you ask? This explanation deals a lot with chemistry, something I'm not too fond of, but here's the short version. Free radicals are basically atoms who need an electron, so these little thieves steal them from other atoms in our bodies. Then the atom who has just been robbed becomes a free radical and essentially starts a chain reaction. Basically, free radicals are natural but accumulate over time as we age.  The way antioxidants help with this problem is by donating one of their electrons to the greedy devils thus ending the chain reaction.

Certain envrionmental factors can also contribute to an excess of free radicals such as cigarette smoke, radiation, pollution, and herbicides. Two of the most common antioxidants that can help fight off these radicals are Vitamin E (the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant in the body) and Vitamin C (the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in the body). The main importance associated with these are disease prevention. Vitamin E helps protect against heart disease by defending against clogged arteries. High amounts of Vitamin C have been linked to low cancer rates, specifically cancer of the larynx, mouth, and esophagus. 
Bottom line, antioxidants are good! So let's find out how to get them! 

Try adding some of these into your diet to reap the benefits of antioxidants:

BEANS

• Beans are high in both fiber and antioxidants
• They help lower cholesterol and LDL levels, moderate insulin, reduce cancer risk, and scavenge those pesky free radicals
• How much do I need? Two 1/2 cups servings a day of cooked or canned beans
• Examples: Red beans, Kidney beans, Pinto beans, Black beans
• Meal Ideas: Beans and Rice, Bean Burrito, Split Pea Soup

BLUEBERRIES

• Blueberries provide more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. Surprising right? I mean they're so small!
• They have lots of complicated sounding stuff in them that basically helps with fighting cancer, heart disease, and age-related memory loss
• Raspberries and Blackberries are also good substitutes. Eat any type of berry at least three times a week
• How much do I need? 1/2 cup fresh or frozen or 1/4 cup dried every day
• Meal Ideas: eat them raw, put them in cereal, garnish vanilla ice cream with blueberries, blueberry pancakes, blueberries in yogurt, the list goes on and on...

BROCCOLI

• Broccoli helps fight against cancer while also promoting eye health and warding off macular degeneration
• Broccoli is considered a cruciferous vegetable like brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage
• How much do I need? 1/2 cup raw or 1 cup cooked every day
• Meal Ideas: fresh steamed broccoli, broccoli stir fry with other vegetables and pasta, beef with broccoli, broccoli cheddar soup

TOMATOES

• Tomatoes help with the same problems broccoli does, but they also contain lycopene, a pigment and phytochemical that may be linked with cancer prevention
• Cooked tomatoes contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes
• How much do I need? eat one serving a day with healthy fat like olive oil to help absorb the lycopene. Servings include 1 medium raw tomato, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup sauce, 1/4 cup paste, 2 tbsps of paste, or 6 oz of juice. Enough options?
• Meal Ideas: pasta with red tomato sauce, bruschetta with basil and mozzerella, tomato soup

DARK CHOCOLATE

• Finally right? Something we actually love and crave! Basically the darker the chocolate (the higher percentage of cocoa) the more antioxidants it contains
• How much do I need? 1 oz serving a day
• Meal Ideas: do i even need to list these? Raw dark chocolate, dark chocolate candies, fruits dipped in dark chocolate, melted dark chocolate over ice cream etc. 

More Great Sources of Antioxidants include:

• Oats
• Soy
• Garlic
• Nuts: pecans, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts
• More Vegetables: artichokes, cabbage, kale, peppers, red beets
• More fruits: cherries, pomegranate, grapes, plums, apples

I guarantee you can fit many of these into your daily diet if you don't already. Remember, these aren't necessarily going to prevent you from getting cancer or any other diseases, but they will definitely help decrease your chances. Enjoy experimenting with new foods and try incorporating some of my suggestions to have an antioxidant rich diet!

Be healhty!

Stephanie, WWT